People who embrace personal growth come across as younger, more flexible, and more able to respond to the changing environment. Of course, nobody stays the same throughout their whole life. No one is born perfect. That means cultivating a growth mindset is key to overcoming life’s inevitable challenges. Here are 16 ways to ensure you stay resilient, and live life to the fullest.
1. View your identity as flexible.
When you’re less attached to your particular habits and preferences, growth becomes possible. You remember that many of the things you currently like were conditioned into you or influenced by others. Becoming your authentic self means letting go of things that don’t serve you and searching for your true interests and desires.
2. Regularly step outside your comfort zone.
It’s natural to want to stay where you feel safe. However, it’s important to deliberately step outside your comfort zone to develop a growth mindset. Choose to do things that scare you just a little bit. Watch how your horizons begin to expand. You could try a new food you think you won’t like, or attend a speed dating event. Try out a new form of exercise, or pick up a new hobby.
3. Research personal development and self-improvement books.
There are lots of books out there that can give you advice on how to improve your health and happiness. Be open to this kind of advice, and seek out experts who inspire you with their wisdom. Apply their teachings in your life. This will help you grow beyond your current limits. Some of the best you can try are “Atomic Habits” by James Clear and “How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis.
4. Keep a journal.
Keeping a daily journal helps you reflect on your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. It’s important to become aware of yourself in order to develop a growth mindset. If you go through life on autopilot, it’s likely you’ll keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Opening a window into your past self and being more conscious helps you grow and change.
5. Cultivate a meditation practice.
Meditation is another way you can quiet your mind and become aware of your authentic self. Meditation gives you more clarity and calm. This helps you make the right choices on your path toward growth. Transcendental Meditation, or TM, can be a good place to start.
6. Set goals and strive to meet them.
Only by trying to meet an unreachable goal can you go beyond your limits. Set a goal that you think is a little out of your reach, make a plan to reach it, and put it into action. Choose goals that excite you, resonate with you, and that you think will make your life better, even if they seem impossible right now.
7. Intentionally develop new healthy habits.
Use behavior change techniques to develop new healthy habits that support your new lifestyle. The key is to start small, choose things you might enjoy, and go slowly. Your new habits will support your growth by helping you to become the person you want to be. Behavior change uses the science of psychology to alter our choices based on how the brain naturally works.
8. See a supportive therapist.
A good therapist can give you insight into the areas where you need to change by helping you process your thoughts and emotions. They can give you constructive feedback on your current problems so you can overcome your difficulties. Choose a therapist you trust, who can respond to you empathetically and appropriately, and who can support you in your growth goals.
9. Learn about psychology.
Psychology as a discipline is the study of the human mind. By understanding how the mind works and drives our behavior, you can develop powerful ways to make changes in your life that work with your natural tendencies. Instead of seeing yourself as lazy, understand how humans choose the path of least effort.
10. Shoot for self-actualization.
In Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, he theorizes that humans have the highest need for self-actualization. This means striving to fulfill their full potential. Although not many people ever achieve it, self-actualization can serve as an orientation for growth, while still being kind to yourself and acknowledging your limitations.
11. Make a vision board.
Vision boards are popular in the art of manifesting, and involve adding images of everything you want to achieve in your life on a physical board. Use your board as inspiration for a growth mindset. This focus on imagery helps convince your unconscious mind that change is possible, even if you can’t imagine how you’ll achieve your dreams yet. You’ll be more likely to reach your desired state.
12. Embrace being humble.
Detaching from your ego means you can identify what you need to change in your personality, habits, and behaviors. Do you need to be more forgiving? Do you need to control your temper more? Do you need to find more motivation? Being humble helps you recognize that you’re not perfect and makes growth possible, opening up the possibility for change.
13. Be open to criticism.
Sometimes you need your critics to motivate you to change. Cultivating a growth mindset means being open to criticism without taking it personally. Accepting that you could be wrong allows you to use this as a basis for change. Sometimes, your biggest critics can be your greatest teachers.
14. Forgive yourself.
It’s hard to grow when you keep beating yourself up about past mistakes that you’ve made. Guilt can become toxic if you dwell in it inappropriately and don’t use it as a basis for change. This is especially true if it’s out of proportion to what you’ve done and related to instances where you had little control. Forgive yourself for these times.
15. Don’t wait for a wake-up call.
People can wait a long time for a wake-up call that compels them to change. This could be a death, a serious illness, or a job loss that shows them where they’ve been going wrong. Even feeling a little dissatisfied can propel you on the path to growth. Listen to those subtle feelings, and act on them.
Enjoy this piece? Give it a like and follow PsychLove on MSN for more!
